1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a television signal reception apparatus, and particularly to picture control for receiving television broadcast programs of a plurality of channels.
2. Related Background Art
Among reception apparatuses for performing picture displays of received television broadcasts, there is known a television apparatus which is configured so as to display a main picture together with a plurality of sub-pictures which the apparatus displays either within this main picture or outside of this main picture. Further, by divided up and controlling a single tuner in a time division manner and performing a display of semi-moving images by switching between them and displaying in rotation, practical application is made of a multi-picture television apparatus or the like in which the number of sub-pictures is increased to that of broadcast programs (i.e., number of channels). One instance of a television apparatus which has a function such as this is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 10-51709, for example.
Further, in relation to digital television broadcasting that is now anticipated as the technology to replace analog broadcasting in the future, in order to adapt to the change to multiple-channel broadcasting, a new program channel-selecting method which is called EPG (electronic program guide) has been put to practical use. In this method, program information multiplexed in a digital television broadcast is extracted and then displayed on a screen, and then program selection is performed from this display.
However, there were the following problems in the conventional reception apparatus, such as the one described above, in which a multi-picture which makes divisions of sub-pictures according to the number of programs is displayed:
(1) Processing of analog broadcasting with several tens of channels was possible, but the sub-picture divisions could not be increased in units of hundreds, which is necessary for digital broadcasting in which the number of channels is planned to increase into the hundreds;
(2) The more the number of sub-picture divisions increases the lower the display resolution of each of the sub-pictures becomes, so visual recognizability deteriorates;
(3) Even if the display is performed with the number of sub-picture divisions being decreased, it is difficult for the user to know which picture was changed when he or she quickly changes the program of one of the sub-pictures;
(4) In the case where the user has a clear objective when searching for a program, or in the case where the user is accustomed to computer operation the EPG program selection method for selecting from digital television broadcasts is an extremely good method. However, in the case where the user wants to select a program which suits his or her interest at that time while casually viewing the screen, or in the case where the user is not accustomed to computer operation, the same ease of operation as enjoyed with the conventional analog broadcast reception apparatus cannot be achieved, which may present a great barrier to the spread of digital broadcasting.
The present invention was developed to solve problems such as those described above.
Another objective of the present invention is to provide a display picture which is easy for a user to view at a time when a television broadcast having many channels is received.
A further objective of the present invention is to make the programs of many channels be viewable with efficiency at a time when a multiple-channel television broadcast is received.
A further objective of the present invention is to improve the operability of the program channel selection by the user or the like.
With the objects as described above, according to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided, an apparatus for receiving a television signal having a plurality of channels, assigning images of different channels included in the television signal to a main picture and a sub-picture, and synthesizing the main picture and the sub-picture in a same picture and displaying the synthesized pictures by a display apparatus, the apparatus comprising reception means for receiving the television signal; and control means for, according to an instruction for a channel change of the sub-picture, synthesizing an image of a first channel displayed as the sub-picture, and an image of a second channel within a predetermined duration of time, while changing the channel of the sub-picture from the first channel to the second channel.
Objectives of the present invention other than the ones recorded above, and other characteristics of the same, ought to become clear in the following detailed explanation of an embodiment of the present invention taken in conjunction with the accompanied drawings.